Eye shade and method of producing eye shades

Abstract

An eye shade and method of producing an eye shade are disclosed. The eye shade comprises a bill member with a curved inner edge and a flange portion upstanding from the inner edge. A rim band or member with a straight lower edge is secured to the flange preferably by spot welding, and upon the rim band being bent about a vertical axis the bill portion is curved about a vertical axis and a downwardly inclined axis. The bill and rim portions are preferably molded in a planar form of flexible plastic. At this stage, if desired, they may be printed. The securement of the bill and rim may be by spot welding. Perspiration and elastic head bands are then mounted on the rim.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. An eye shade for wear on the head and formed from flexible plastic material comprising: a bill member; and   a rim member;   the bill member including a portion having a curved inner edge and which is curved within a plane perpendicular to a first substantially vertical axis and a curved outer edge which extends along a line below said plane;   the bill member having an integrally formed flange portion therefrom, said flange portion comprising a plurality of flange elements spaced apart by V-shaped slots said V-shape slots being present during assembly of the eye shade when the flange portion and the bill member are oriented in the same plane;   said flange portion being delineated from the body of the bill member by a groove forming the line of the curved inner edge;   the rim member having a substantially linear horizontal lower edge that extends substantially within a single plane and being connected to each of said flange elements by spot welding;   a longitudinal strip of perspiration-absorbing material being secured to the shade along the curved edge.   
     
     
       2. Eye shade in accordance with claim 1 further including means for retaining the eye shade on the head of the wearer. 
     
     
       3. Eye shade in accordance with claim 1 wherein said bill member and said rim planar in form prior to assembly. 
     
     
       4. Eye shade in accordance with claim 3, wherein at least the bill member includes decorative printing at least on the upper surface thereof. 
     
     
       5. An eye shade as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bill portion has an outer edge and said outer edge is curved and describes an arc intersecting with the arc of said inner edge. 
     
     
       6. Method of producing an eye shade assembly, said method comprising the steps of: molding a flexible plastic material to provide a substantially planar bill member, said bill member having a curved inner edge and flange means extending along at least part of said inner edge;   providing a groove on the bill member extending a predetermined distance from the curved inner edge to provide an flange;   providing V-shaped slots in said flange to divide it into a plurality of flange elements including slots permitting curving of said flange along the curved edge;   and securing a longitudinally extending generally rectangular planar rim band having a substantially linear lower edge to said flange whereupon bending said rim band around a substantially vertical axis, a curved inner edge of said bill member is curved within a plane perpendicular to said vertical axis and a curved outer edge of said bill member extended along a line below said plane.   
     
     
       7. Method in accordance with claim 6, wherein said rim band is secured to said upstanding flange by spot welding. 
     
     
       8. Method in accordance with claim 6, further including the step of printing at least the upper surface of the bill member when in a planar form. 
     
     
       9. Method in accordance with claim 6, further including the step of imprinting a decoration on the outer surface of said rim band when in a planar form.